First-lactation records on 836,452 daughters of 3,064 NorwegianRed sires were used to examine associations between cullingin first lactation and 305-d protein yield, susceptibility toclinical mastitis, lactation mean somatic cell score (SCS),nonreturn rate within 56 d in heifers and primiparous cows,and interval from calving to first insemination. A Bayesianmultivariate threshold-linear model was used for analysis. Posteriormean of heritability of liability to culling of primiparouscows was 0.04. The posterior means of the genetic correlationsbetween culling and the other traits were -0.41 to 305-dprotein yield, 0.20 to lactation mean SCS, 0.36 to clinicalmastitis, 0.15 to interval from calving to first insemination,-0.11 to 56-d nonreturn as heifer, and -0.04 to56-d nonreturn as primiparous cow. As much as 66% of the geneticvariation in culling was explained by genetic variation in proteinyield, clinical mastitis, interval of calving to first insemination,and 56-d nonreturn in heifers, whereas contribution from theSCS and 56-d nonreturn as primiparous cow was negligible, aftertaking the other traits into account. This implies that forbreeds selected for a broad breeding goal, including functionaltraits such as health and fertility, most of the genetic variationin culling will probably be covered by other traits in the breedinggoal. However, in populations where data on health and fertilityis scarce or not available at all, selection against early cullingmay be useful in indirect selection for improved health andfertility. Regression of average sire posterior mean on birth-yearof the sire indicate a genetic change equivalent to an annualdecrease of the probability of culling in first-lactation NorwegianRed cattle by 0.2 percentage units. This genetic improvementis most likely a result of simultaneous selection for improvedmilk yield, health, and fertility over the last decades